Process for recovering the oil from mineral oil emulsions



. them practically Worthless, such oils are re:

- Huma e-Nata I I II ;-Z1RUSTEE,,0E ROCHESTER, NEW YORK.

' I Patented Feb." 8 ll cm r-r smrrs ROCHESTER, INEW YQRK, .assrenoa troNELsoN A. HALI'LA ER,

rnocnss'ron nncovnnnve 'rnn 01L Enos/ MINERAII OIL EMULSIONS.

No Drawing;

The object of my invention is to provide a process for recovering the o l from mineral oil emulsions Which Will recover a larger percentage of the oils from the emulsionthan heretofore possible. I

Another object of my invention is to provide a process of this kind'which is economical, and which separates the oil from Water and other foreign substances mo'r'e quickly than processes heretofore known. f

i More specifically the object of my inven tion is to'provide a process for treating emulsions of-mineral oils with an alkali. compounded with vegetable matter, such as, cellulose, which quickly breaks up the emulthe oilfrom the foreign.

sion and separates matter.

My'process is especially adapted for re covering the mineral oil contained in What is known as B. S.',or bottom settlings, roily oils, and the oils from wells yielding oils containing such a high percentage of Water, salt or other foreign substance, as to render fused by the pipeline companies and in some fields their disposal has become a very the oils, B. s., er.

difficult problem.

According to my process emulsions are treated with granulated or pulverizedraw vegetable matter, preferably.

vegetable matter combinedWith alkali such as sodium, potassium or ammon1um.hydrox-' ide. Such compounds serve to quickly over come the surface stress, and the small globules'of' oil contained in the B. S. or roily oil separate from the Water, salt or other foreign matter with which it is emulsified.

In practice,Ihavefound that cellulose impregnated with a soluble metallic base or amlose with a' concentrated solution in water monium hydroxide is to .be'preferredfor treating emulsions of mineral oils such as' B. S., rolly oil, or the imperfect emulsions yielded by some oil Wells. In treating these, the emulsions are mixed or intermingled with cellulose material prepared by treating celluof caustic soda, caustic potash, ammonium hydroxide, or any soluble basic oxide or hydroxide, either with the '-aid' of stirring apparatus such as an agitator, or by pa ing compressed air, or natural gas through the mass until the separation of the oil and for- I Applicationfiledjune fiq, i922. seh 569,749.

eign matter has taken place. With some emuls ons, Ihave found that the process is, I materially hastened by the application of gentle heat. The mass isthen left'to'settle "being more refractory thanothers. After complete separation'has taken place, the- .strata of water and other foreign matter may be. drawn off, in anysurtable manner and ina short time, the'oiltvill be found-in 7 (source of the emulsions being treated, some as through an opening in the side of the contamlng vessel or by means-of asuctionpump,

and'replaced with a newcharge of the B. S., or other oily emulsion to be treated and the operationrepeated with the samecharge of alkaline cellulose. Theoil separated from the bottom settlings, roily oil, or other emulsion" as above described, maybe afterwards filtered through a filter press of usual and wellknown construction. Many emulsions,

roily oils orbase settlings maybe com;

eign matter 'bythe use of theflfilter'press' alone and by previously mixing them with the material 'WltlflOllt waiting for the settling operation.

"While many Vegetable substances which 'pletely separated from Waterand other 'forare not oily or fatty in any form maybe impregnated. with. a basic oxide or hydroxide to' separate the oil from its emulsion, I

have found that raw cellulose in a granulated form impregnated with sodium hydroxide, providesthe cheapest and mostef- \ficient process- A very small quantity of the material comparedwith the volume of 011 to betreated is required. Experiments indicate-that the quantity of material re- .quired totreat a given volume of emulsion varies with the nature or source of the B. S.

or emulsion to be'trea-ted. In practice I have found that from 1% to 5% by volume of the material is sufiicient to break. up the emulsions commonlymet with in the field.

'HaVing described-my invention What- I claim and desire to secure by Letters-Pate ent is: 1 r 1. The process from their emulsions with Water and other of separating mineral oils foreign substances whieh consists in mixing foreign'substances, which consists in mixingtherewith n quantity-of cellulose impregtherewith a qnantity'of cellulose impregnatnated with a'c'austi'c alkali Whereby the oil ed with sodium hydroxide whereby the oil is' 0 is permitted to separate from the water and separated from the water and other foreign 5 other foreign matter. I I V matter. e 2. The process of separating mineral oils v from their emulsions with. ater and other HENRY N. DONS 

